Google Business Profile (GBP, formerly known as Google My Business) is a key part of any localised inbound marketing strategy, and its practicality, effectiveness and usability are evident in the fact that it has stood the test of time, comparatively with other products in the Googleverse. This powerful platform offers numerous benefits that can significantly impact your business’s visibility, credibility, relevance and ultimately, your bottom line, whether that involves reach, growth or engagement.
With over 90% of searches completed on Google, whether users are searching for a product, service or information on a specific topic, setting up your Google Business Profile is a no-brainer at this point.
What is Google Business Profile?
Google Business Profile is a free and user-friendly tool that allows businesses to manage their online presence across various Google platforms, including Google Search and Google Maps. It serves as a digital storefront, providing essential information such as name, address, phone number, website, hours of operation, and directions to physical locations. GBP also provides the option of showcasing photos and videos of products, services and premises, giving potential customers a glimpse into what they have to offer.
Moreover, GBP enables businesses to interact with customers directly through features like Google Posts, Q&A, Messaging and Reviews. Businesses have the opportunity to respond to customer inquiries, share updates and reviews in real-time, fostering meaningful engagement and building trust with their audience. All in all, it gives businesses full control of how they appear on searches, be in charge of their reputation, stand out and attract more customers to their doorstep.
5 Benefits of Google Business Profile
1. Enhanced Visibility in Google Search
With Google being the go-to search engine for billions of users worldwide, it’s essential for businesses to appear prominently in search results. Once set up, GBP will be the first thing that pops up and the first thing that users will see after they type in their query, as it takes up a significant amount of eye-catching real estate on page one of Google searches. Therefore, it can play a pivotal role in ensuring that your business information is displayed correctly and noticeably whenever users search for relevant keywords or phrases. Correct grammar, accurate information, attractive pictures and videos, positive customer reviews, a valid and functional website, and many more details, can be hugely beneficial driving factors in driving more traffic to your website, but also in increasing foot traffic to your physical location, ultimately leading to more conversions and revenue.
2. Improved Local SEO Performance
Think of a recent time you were searching for a product or service on Google, or any time before that. Have you ever been past the first, or at best, the second page of results? Doubtful. Local search engine optimisation (SEO) is critical for businesses that rely on local customers. GBP can be a powerful tool for improving your local SEO performance and increasing your chances of appearing in the coveted “Local Pack” - the top three local listings displayed at the top of Google’s search results.
By optimising your profile with relevant keywords, geo-targeted information and high-quality images, you signal to Google that your business is relevant to local search queries and push your chances of being featured. Additionally, keeping in mind to be constantly updating your profile with posts, offers, and customer reviews, can further boost your local SEO rankings and eventually outrank your competitors.
3. Customer Engagements & Interactions
GBP is not just a static listing, but more of a dynamic platform that enables businesses to actively engage and interact with their customers and target audience directly, thus adding a more personalised touch. It provides you numerous chances to actively communicate with audiences, address their inquiries and concerns, and take the opportunity to mould, build and showcase your brand’s identity, personality and expertise. It also demonstrates your business's commitment to taking into account its customers’ valued opinions, in order to further improve customer satisfaction and loyalty, but also to show dedication in improving customer service.
Positive interactions and reviews can also influence prospective customers’ purchasing decisions, leading to increased trust and credibility for your business.
4. Valuable Insights & Analytics
Understanding your audience and their behaviours is key to optimising your marketing strategies and efforts and driving business growth. GBP provides valuable insights and analytics that allow you to gain a deeper comprehension into how users discover and interact with your business online, which can also be detrimental to your future decisions in order to continue improving your ranking and distinction.
From the number of views, clicks and actions on your profile, to the demographics and geographic locations of your audience, these are extremely valuable and applicable insights that you can gather to make informed decisions, refine your messaging, target your advertising more effectively and tailor your marketing efforts to better meet your customers’ needs and drive better results.
5. Cost-Effective Marketing Tool
One of the most important benefits of Google Business Profile? It’s free! There’s no added cost or extra hustle, unlike other traditional advertising channels that often require substantial investments and setting up, which means that only is it a cost-effective marketing tool that you can start using instantly, it also deems a particularly useful and must-have product, especially for local and small businesses with limited budgets.
It can create a level playing field, where despite your resources, size, experience, expertise, etc, you can enter the game with what you have, sell it as you wish, promote it as you like, and up your chances of getting more potential customers. Furthermore, the ROI (return on investment) potential of GBP is substantial. By leveraging its various features and optimising your profile effectively, you can attract more customers, increase your sales, and achieve a significant return on investment, without having to sacrifice any of your budget in the first place.